pettett



""NITED I STATES PATENT Fries.

GEORGE EDWARD PETTETT, OF MIAMIA, NEAR KYNETOlfl-VIGTORIA.

BRANDINGQTOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,360, dated November 6. 1888.

Application filed December 8, 1887. Serial No. 257,335.

(No model.) Patented in Victoria June 25, 1887, No. 5,147; in New South Wales September 5, 1887, No. 165; in New Zealand November 10, I887, No. 2,628; in England December 5, 1887, No.

16,730, and in Queensland February 6, 1888, No. 3-18.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE EDWARD PET- 'IETT, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Miamia, near Kyneton, in the Brit- 'ish colony of Victoria, Grazier, have invented an Improved Branding-Tool, principally applicable for marking sheep and merchandise, (for which I obtained Letters Patent in the following British colonies: In Victoria, dated June 25, 1887, No. 5.147 in New South Wales,

. my contrivance a pneumatic-reservoir branding-tool, because it carries in itself a reservoir of its branding-fluid, and because, by the regulation of the pressure of the air, such fluid is made to flow or to cease from flowing onto the branding-surface of the tool.

In constructing my branding-tool I first provide a hollow tube of convenient length and diameter, and preferably circular, to allow of a piston working therein and for convenience of'handling. The lower or branding end of this tube is enlarged to form a reservoir, and

the bottom of this reservoir has a casting secured to it, which has a hole quite through it, of the sectional form of the mark or device it is desired to brand. I then fill the hole with closely-packed short lengths of wire, preferably brass wire, or with closely-packed shot. The lower ends of these wires reach to a level with the end of the hole in the casting at the bottom of the reservoir and present a flat surface, from which the brand is impressed onto the sheep or package. The upper and inner ends of these lengths of wire are tapered to a point, and above these or upon the top of the shot, as the case may be, is laid a disk of very fine metal gauze, which is to prevent dirt getting to the small channels or interstices between the brand wires orshot. Above this metal gauze is the reservoir for the brandingfluid, and in the upper part of the tube above the fluid is an air-hole, which is temporarily covered or uncovered, as required, and in this upper part the piston works. If the air-hole above were permanently open, the fluid might run down too quickly andeither drop off at the bottom or smear theimpression, and therefore it requires to be regulated according to the work which the tool is required to perform. When shot or small balls are used as an alternative for the wires, I arrange a perforated plate or piece of gauze over the lower end of the letter or brand casting to prevent the shot or small ballsfalling out; Further,

I sometimes furnish the branding'toolwith a device for regulating the supply from the reservoir to the wires or shot or for cutting the supply completely off, and by this means pre vent the possibility of its dripping while the machine is not being used and has its reservoir full.

Referring to my drawings, Figure 1 is a part side view and a part longitudinal section of a branding-tool constructed according to my invention, the lower brandingsurface of which is formed to mark the device of a circular ring. Fig. 2 is a plan of such'lower branding end, showing the circular-ring brand. Fig. 3 is a plan, looking down on thetop of thebranding-tool. Fig. at is a transverse section at the line a a, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a section, and Fig, 6 a plan, of the arrangement of the wires or headless pins within the hole or cavity which forms the brand. Both these views are shown on an exaggerated scale to illustrate the arrangement of the wires. Fig. 7 is a plan, and Fig. 8 a section, on line b-b, Fig. 7, of abrand in the form of the letter T. Fig. 9 shows a plan, and Fig. 10 a section, of the alternative construction of reservoir and brand-casting having the cut-off device and the small shot or balls, instead of the wires.

the tubular casing A,and the upper end of 100 tube D has the flattened ends of the two guidebars D secured to it. These guide-bars pass through suitable holes in the cap A, and are secured at their outer ends to the erosshead D", to the center of which the outer end of the piston-rod I) is fastened. This piston-rod passes through a central hole in the cap A, and is secured within the casing A to the piston D, which fits closely within such easing. E is a coiled or spiral spring arranged within the casing A, with its one end bearing against theunderside of the piston D*and its other end againstthe top surface ofthe ring A,secu red inside said casing A. A is a branch pipe springing from the side of tube A, and through this branch pipe the branding-fluid is supplied to the reservoir B. A" is a cover or stopper for such branch pipe. Between the connectingflanges of the reservoir I) and the brand-piece C, and stretching across the chamber. is a disk of very fine metal-gauze cloth, F, and to make a good joint between the flanges an insertion, F, is placed between them. Thebrand-picce Chas thehole or recess 0 formed quite through it of the form of the desired brand, and this hole is filled in with the pointed-end wires or headless pins H, which are forced in and packed closely together within the brand-space, so as to support themselves therein. The slidingtube piece D has a slot, D formed in it, (see Fig. 4,) such slot being opposite to a hole, A, formed through the tubular casing A. A" (see Fig. 3) is a vent-hole in the screwed cap A.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the alternative construction of brand-casting O is shown with small balls or shot J in place of the wires, and with the cut-off device between their top and the reservoir B. The shot J are packed closely together in the brandholc G, and the bottom of the brand is faced with a perforated plate or piece of gauze, J, of suitable strength to prevent the shot or balls falling out. A fixed perforated plate or piece of gauze, F, is arranged as before ever the top of the balls, and above this and pivoted to it at its center is another perforated metal plate, F, which is capable of being turned slightly by the pin F so that the solid space between its perforations will cover or partially cover the perforations in the lower plate, F, and thus to wholly or partly cutoff the supply from the reservoir to the interstices between the shot or balls or (if applied to a branding-tool with wires) to the channels between the wires.

It will be understood that the size of the wires or headless pins or the diameter of the balls or shot will be varied to suit the description of bramling-fluid used. For instance, when branding a sheep a. thick or oily fluid is used, and the wires are then larger than those used for general merchandise, when an ink or thin fluid is used, for the obvious reason that the larger pins and the larger shot or balls give a larger space between their surfaces for the outflow of the branding-fluid.

The mode of operation is as follows: The

reservoir I is first supplied with brandingfluid suitable for the work to be performed, and the supply-branch A. is stoppered up; then the operator grasps the branding-tool by the sliding tube D and places the brand end of the tool on the sheep or surface it is desired to brand; then he presses down the tube D and with it the piston I) upon the spiral spring E. Vhen the piston passes the hole A in the tubular casing A,the air-supply to the space above the liquid is cut off, and thus as the piston descends it compresses the air with sufficient force to compel the branding-fluid to enter and pass through the small channels or interstices formed between the surfaces of the closely-packed wires or between the small balls or shot to the face of the brand,by which it is transferred or impressed onto the sheep or surface to be branded. \Vhen the branding-tool is raised from the surface which has been branded and the tube D released from pressure, the coiled spring E returns the piston D and the tube D to its upper normal position, thus readmitting the air to the tube A through the slot D" of the tube D and hole A of the casing A. The tool is then in readiness for the next branding operation. \Vhen the branding operations are completed for a tin1e,the supply to the brand-casting is cut off by the upper perforated plate, F.

To clean the apparatus, the reservoir is emptied, a small quantity of kerosene placed therein, which is forced through the brand in order to remove all superfluous fluid and to keep the interstices or channels between the wires or slot clear and open.

Having thus described the nature ofniy said invention and the manner ofperforming same, I would haveit understood that what I believe to be new, and therefore claim as of my invention, in my improved branding-tool, principally applicable for marking sheep and merchandise, is

1.. In a branding-tool, a brandingiron provided with an opening extending through it having the form of the mark to be branded, said opening being filled with a loose material, and a reservoir for the branding-fluid, to which the iron is attached, whereby said fluid is fed by capillary attraction to the marking-face of the brandingiron, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a branding-tool, a branding-iron provided with an opening extending through it having the form of the mark to be branded, a flange projecting beyond the marking-face of the iron and encompassing said opening, a filling of loose non-absorbent material for said opening, and a reservoir for the branding-fluid connected with the branding-iron, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a branding-tool, a branding-iron pro vided with an opening extending through it and having the form of the mark to be branded, a filling of loose material for said opening, a reservoir for thcbranding-fluid connected with the branding-iron, and aforcing device for forcing the fluid through said filling, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. In a branding-tool, a branding-iron provided with an opening extending through it and having the form of the mark to be branded, a filling of loose non-absorbent material for said opening, a reservoir for the brandingfluid connected with the branding-iron, a piston-cylinder connected with the reservoir, and a piston operating within the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In a branding-tool, a branding-iron provided with an opening extending through it and having the formof the mark to be branded, a filling of loose material for said opening, a reservoir for the branding-fluid connected with the branding-iron,a piston-cylinder connected with the reservoir, a piston operating within the cylinder, and an air-vent interposed in the connection between the cylinder and reservoir, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

G. In a branding-tool, a branding-iron provided with an opening extending through it and having 'theform of the mark to be branded, a filling of loose non-absorbent material for said 0pening,a reservoir for the branding-fluid connected with the branding-iron, a foraminous body interposed between said reservoir and branding-iron, a piston-cylinder connected with the reservoir, and'a piston operating within the cylinder, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. In a branding'tool, a brandingiron provided with an opening extending through it and having the form of the mark to be branded,

said openingbeing covered at the branding end of the iron bya foraminous body, afilling of loose non-absorbent material for said opening, a reservoir for the branding-fluid connected with the branding-iron, a piston-cylin- 9. In a branding-tool, a branding-iron provided with an opening extending through it and having the form of the mark to be branded,

' a filling of cylindrical needles, 0, pointed at their inner ends and square atthe outer ends, said outer ends lying flush with the edges of the opening, a reservoir for the branding-fluid connected with the iron, and a forcing device for forcing the fluid through the interstices between the needles, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

10. In a branding-tool, a branding-iron provided with an opening having the form of the mark to be branded and having on the branding-face a projecting flange encompassing said opening, a filling of cylindrical needles having their inner ends pointed and their outer ends square and flush with the corresponding face of the flange, a fluid-reservoir connected with the iron, a foraminous body interposed between the two, a forcing device, and an airventinterposed between the forcing device and reservoir, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

' GEORGE EDWARD PETTETT.

\Vitnesses:

EDWARD WATERs, WALTER CHARLES HART. 

